The Thirst of my Soul
by NightDove
Summary: A year has passed since the war's end, and Aang is faced with a new task: reviving the Air race. He chooses Katara for his wife, but as the days to his wedding nears, revenge, murder, and fate spell a different destiny. Initial AK, but eventual ZK
1. Like Every Morning

**AN: **I am truly excited about writing this fic, as it has been rotting in the back of my imagination closet for God knows how long. For clarification purposes, this fic is set to take place a year after the events of the series finale. Everyone is therefore, a year older than what they were at the _end_ of the series (I.e. Katara is 16 going on 17, Aang is 14 going on 15, etc.). I really appreciate reviews and constructive criticism, so feel free to drop a line, and I hope you guys will enjoy reading this tale spun on love, loss, recreation, action, pride and philosophy as much as I will enjoy writing it. Have a nice day. :)

-NightDove

The Thirst of my Soul

* * *

_Chapter One: Like Very Morning_

A ravishing sunrise rose from under the distant trees as Katara stirred awake in her comfy bedroom. Ah, how nice it is to have your own bedroom after so long of having shared tents and sleeping bags with others. Truth be told, she never really minded it that much at the time, but the luxury of privacy has been one she was overdue for.

While she was brushing her wavy chocolate locks, there was a knock at her door. Upon opening it, she was delighted to see her boyfriend.

"Aang." She said before throwing her arms around him in a hug.

"Morning." Said the handsome Avatar after giving the normal peck to her forehead.

"Come on in, I'll be ready in a minute." She said while pulling him into her room. She was late this morning for their daily walk around their part of Ba Sing Se.

The Air Nomad complied politely and sat down on her made bed, admiring discreetly the glow of her beauty so early in the morning.

Little did he know that she too was watching him from the reflection of her mirror, being drawn to how handsome he had grown in such a short time. She kept pretending to brush her hair until she placed the brush down and quietly took hold of the package she had next to it. She hid it behind her back as she turned towards him.

He got up confidently and pulled her into a sweet kiss, cradling with his fingers the crook of her neck. In the midst of such romance, he took out his present.

Damn it, he beat her to it.

He circled around her once before pushing her hair away. Indeed, it is surprising how long hair can grow within a year; Katara's hair was by this time well past her waist. The waviness of it all certainly complimented the design on the shawl Aang draped around her.

He kissed her cheek before letting her hair fall back into place. "Happy one year, my water lily."

She giggled in glee at the tickle of his kiss before turning to face him with the package in her hands. "And to you, my Air Prince."

The Avatar smilingly opened his present to reveal bright shades of orange, yellow and beige: Air Nomad colors. As he pulled the gift out of its package, it unfolded to reveal a hand-made robe. His smile widened to reveal his strong teeth as he pulled off his current robes. The old clothes made a small pile on the foot of Katara's bed while he wrapped his new robes around him. They hung onto him in a way that covered his right shoulder while the left was bare, exposing his developed muscles and famous tattoos.

He stood up and put his hands on his hips, modeling before Katara and the full-length mirror the success of her tailor work.

"Oh Katara, they are great." He said while he admired himself. "And I know when I'm going to use them."

Katara had already folded her shawl. "Oh?" She said as she laid it on the bed. "When is that?"

"Hopefully, the same time you can wear this, too." He replied as he sat down on the bed next to her, patting the folded shawl. He took out a scroll from his old robes and unrolled it before her.

"This," He began, "is an invitation to the Fire Lord's wedding next month. He has invited us as honored guests!"

Katara scanned the characters on the scroll before pointing a finger towards the bottom. "It says here that as the Avatar, the Fire Lord has chosen you to be his right hand man during the ceremony. You will be seated near him and his bride during and after the oaths and are only allowed one guest to join you at the head of the temple."

Aang then let go of the bottom and allowed the scroll to coil back into its original state, leaving him face to face with Katara.

"Is that so?" He cooed playfully as he neared his face to hers.

Katara, smiling back at him, tapped a teasing finger on his chin. "You can look and see for yourself."

The Avatar reached up and took her small tan hand into his large pale one and kissed her fingers. "I'll take your word for it."

His lips were so soft.

"Good." She whispered before kissing his soft, warm lips. The way he kissed her back so tenderly, so gently, it was almost as though she wasn't kissing a man, but a warm, affectionate breeze.

_Air_. It was like kissing air.

* * *

And that was the way it went; a full year of tender kisses, warm embraces, and chatty mornings, and serene evenings. Never was there a flaw in his character around her, he was always charming, romantic and playful.

They would always begin the day with a stroll around Ba Sing Se; travelling around the world had become a common pleasure for Katara, and since her settlement in Ba Sing Se, has sustained her thirst for exploring by walking. Aang, as an easy-going nomad, happily went alongside her.

They relished in the quiet serenity of early morning, happy to be away from the interference of others who reliably would rush out to meet the Avatar and his girlfriend; possibly more famous now for their relationship rather than their past altruistic deeds.

However, the fame did have some pros to it: both Aang and Katara were highly respected around the city, and were often special guests to the Earth King's galas.

They set aside all their normal talks of memories, dreams, jokes, and sweet nothings for the morning to discuss what to do before the Fire Lord's wedding, and how she, as Aang's guest, would dress for the occasion.

Upon their return to the "Jasmine Dragon", they were welcomed with news from Iroh: the Fire Lord would be visiting next week.

* * *


	2. All For a Reason

**AN: **Just a heads up, I will try to update every day or every other day. I appreciate reviews and constructive criticism. Stay tooned, good stuff next chapter! Thanks to those who R/R. Have a nice day. :)

_Chapter Two: All For a Reason_

* * *

That morning everyone joined in on lively breakfast chatter; mostly on the subject of Zuko's wedding. Amidst the plate-passing and the clanking of teacups, Iroh was surprisingly silent for the majority of the conversation, deviating from his daily laughter and insightful input. Only a gentle "please" and "thank you" escaped his lips when requesting and receiving the precious teapot.

Katara, apparently the only one aware of his change of behavior, eyed him with concern over the brim of her cup. Her keen eyes saw that Iroh's rusty hazel eyes were glossier than usual. At that point she made a mental note to check with him after breakfast; after all, discretion is a virtue.

"Hard to believe that Mr. GruffandTough is getting hitched next month!" Sokka muffled in between hefty bites of his roasted duck and eggs.

"Well, it was bound to happen _sometime_," Said Suki. "They have been dating for almost two years."

Just then a pitched burp ripped through the air.

"Yep," Added a satisfied Toph as she reached for a toothpick. "Zuko arranged the wedding to be on his two-year anniversary."

"It just strikes me as odd that someone who has never shown any passion for anything other than—you know—capturing the Avatar could be so romantic and…"Sokka then paused to down the last of his tea. "…junk."

Sokka's body suddenly rattled before chirping out a hiccup, immediately followed by a burp.

A deathly silence passed by for a moment with everyone still with their forks in their mouths and cups in their hands, all glancing at Sokka's suddenly wide eyes and pink ears.

Suddenly, Toph's donkey-like snort ripped through the hush, heralding a noisy wave of rambunctious laughter: mostly hers, Sokka's, and Aang's, although Suki couldn't help but guiltily admit a chuckle or two.

Katara shook her head with an understanding smile; her brother always was a pig at the table. It had always been that way, except now he was a taller, muscular pig, with just the shyest veil of facial hair around his jaw.

As she looked around, she noticed how everyone has changed since the time they first met: Toph had grown taller, and her breasts had plumped ever so slightly, and the baby fat of her cheeks had distributed itself to her hips, giving the outline of what one day will be a lovely young woman. Suki had grown prettier than before, as her once shoulder-length hair had now grown to the bottom of her shoulder blades, though she grew a little thicker around the waistline, as Iroh's cooking has proved to be a significant change to her diet as opposed to prison food she was fed before.

Then she thought of Iroh, whose belly was still round and sturdy, beard was white and wispy, and small braid of silver hair made a small leak at the back of his head. Out of all of them, Iroh changed the least, if at all. Katara liked that.

That's when she realized that Iroh in fact had left the table amidst the roaring laughter, and barely had time to see the trailing part of his robes quietly sneak out the back of the kitchen door. With a swift swipe of her hand, Katara gathered her bowl and cup and placed them in the sink before discreetly following Iroh out.

"Hello Iroh." Greeted Katara as she approached the addressed elder on the balcony of the tea shop.

"Good morning, Katara." Replied the polite old man, still looking out at the sky.

"Much on your mind, is there?"

He sighed gently, a sad smile on his lips. "More than you can imagine."

"About Zuko?"

"Naturally," He said. "But also, my own son…and even you kids." He said, finally turning his eyes to Katara.

"Why?"

"Oh, perhaps I'm just a lonely old man, sad to see his children all one by one growing up and leaving, but also relieved that they'll be happy."

Katara smiled at him, always touched to know that Iroh had grown to accept and love these teens, as though they were his own. Over the past year, Iroh had plenty of time to get to know and bond with everyone, what with his nephew being the newest ruler of the fire nation and all.

"But also," Continued he. "I had wished to see Lu Ten's wedding, see him begin a happy future with beautiful children that I could hold and call me…grandfather."

Katara looked with compassionate fixation at his eyes, clogged with piling tears, on the edge to be spilled. She looked down at his white, spotted, veined hand and placed her own tender hand on it.

Iroh looked down at the gesture and smiled sadly, rocking tears over the ledge of his eyelids and spilling over on his fat cheeks.

"That time will still come," Katara assured. "When Zuko and Mai have children of their own, they will grow up calling you grandfather."

Iroh nodded silently, with only his tears as an indicator of his crying. Not a single sigh or sniffle could pass his lips.

"Yes." He mustered, before he made a single wipe at his eyes and sighed, suddenly look much more relieved. "In any case, this is a time of joy and celebration. I lived long enough to see my nephew finally have the happiness and peace he deserves. And Agni willing, may I also see the same from the rest of you."

Katara smiled at Iroh as she patted the hand he placed on her shoulder.

"Life—and love—has a strange way of changing people, Katara. You think you know who you are one minute, and then the next—"At this point he sprung his fingers outward, revealing an open palm to the skies "—a new you is born. Life is reborn every moment, even the sun that shines above us…"

Katara looked up the sun, casting gold streaks of light through the sky.

"…Still chooses day to day whether to be a shy sun and hide behind the clouds, or face the world and shine on us all. Change is all around us…"

He then casted his eyes downward and paused, as though he himself was trying to listen to the words.

"…But these things happen for a reason."

Katara nodded, still seeing Iroh's hesitation.

"…And for a _good_ reason."

The sweet elder then patted her shoulder one last time before turning back towards the tea shop. His pace was a little slower than usual.

Katara remained there for a few moments, watching Iroh make his way back to the tea shop, before reflecting on all the changes that has happened, and deciding if they were for the better.

Not surprisingly, Iroh was right.

She stood there for a while, with her forearms folded over each other, each hand holding an elbow. She remained that way, buried in thought, until something broke her trance. She squinted through the sunlight to see the silhouette of an unidentifiable animal.

It seemed to fly straight for Katara, until it angled itself a little lower. And just as soon as it came, it went, in a single swooping motion. The only glimpse Katara could get of the animal was the span of its magnificently white wings and long, strong neck, before it disappeared into the clouds. That same instant, she heard a small thud from down below, and when she looked down had confirmed her suspicion: that was a messenger animal.

Still looking down, she saw a small, but heavy looking scroll outside the door of the second story of the three-story apartment. The door opened, and an orange-robed hand took it in.

Curious, Katara leaned back over the balcony railing and went back inside the building, unaware of the hidden eyes that watched her.

* * *

"It says that I must be at the eastern Air Temple no later than the day after tomorrow. They speak of "dire importance" regarding my future and "that of my people"." Said Aang.

After a pause, Toph asked who "they" were.

"They are the Sages of Generations, whoever they are."

Iroh's ears perked and he gently took the scroll and read over the message. "The Sages of Generations are bendless sages from all nations and all places, an exclusive elite of 9 dedicated sages whose sole purpose is to notify and help the Avatar of any abnormalities of the current generation that could follow to the next."

After a second pause, Sokka asked, "And you know that how?"

"Like the Order of the White Lotus, the Sages of Generations are a low-key organization to protect those involved as well as any information that could become weapons if fallen into the wrong hands. And all organizations, low-key or not, are connected."

Aang, rereading the scroll realized that he must go alone. Katara, who never warmed up to such an idea, grew nervous. However, Iroh knew that a message from the Sages sent must be heeded, and so the Avatar must be on his way. Aang gathered some essentials that night, and prepared to leave on Appa a little before dawn the next day, still not sure what in the world could demand for his attention now, as the world's most tremendous war in history had just finished. But if it regarded his future, _and_ his people, he would not stay and ask questions.

That next dewy morning, the Avatar mounted on the huge bison, prepared with packed meals, a sleeping bag, a canteen of water, and of course his glider. And with a last goodbye to his friends and a final kiss to Katara, he and Appa were launched into the cerulean sky.

Back on the ground, Katara looked up at his disappearing silhouette, hoping—praying— that he will be safe.


	3. Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen

**AN: **I can't, I can _not _believe that I have to say this, but apparently some readers lack the common sense to grow up a little when they read a fic about a couple they don't like: when I said "reviews and constructive criticism are welcomed" I meant just that, _reviews_ (meaning, something pertaining to what actually _happens_ in the story or chapters) or _constructive criticism _(criticism by the reviewers regarding their concerns regarding the _story_, and not just something as superficial as what ship is being used here) are welcomed. Anything less can just as easily be expressed by clicking the "exit" button, because frankly, I don't need confused, close-minded Maikonians or Kataangers to waste space on my review page. Believe it, children, your mommies actually had a valid point: when you don't have anything nice to say, _don't say anything at all_.

For the rest of the readers who've actually hit puberty and developed common courtesy, I apologize for any concern regarding the label I have placed on this story: yes, it is labled Katara/Aang, because it CENTERS around them, they are the main characters of this story. This story is based off what happens to them after the war, and how it affects everyone else. Even though this fic will eventually be Zutara, Aang will still be focused on more than Zuko, so it only makes sense to put him as part of the label. I still apologize if this caused concern among my more mature readers.

Lastly, I write this fic because I want to, because I think its fun, and because I actually like BOTH Kataang and Zutara. I wrote a Kataang fic last time, and wanted to try my hand at Zutara. That's why it's called FAN-FICTION: it's fiction that a fan can write for what they like.

Now, with that out of the way, to the rest of you I give chapter 3. Again, all REVIEWS and CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM are welcomed.

Have a nice day. :)

* * *

_Chapter Three: Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen_

* * *

Above a wave of clouds Aang finally spotted the top of the eastern Air Temple in the distance. With a snap in his stomach, the anxious Avatar flipped the reins of his bison, motioning the gentle giant to lower himself down. Out of all the Air temples, this was the one the Avatar knew of the least. Southern was his home, Northern was where his other nation friends were closest to, Western was where the monks had eventually moved their Avatar-practice to before the invasion. But this, this one was relatively new. Aside from flying by this area in the century past, the Avatar never had business here, and it didn't strike him to go looking around.

Appa lowered under the lake of clouds that blocked their view of the temple, and indeed, from a distance this temple seemed no different from the others. Aang saw a tree around the front of the temple that bore a fruit he had not seen in decades: mango-berries, a bison's favorite.

And how intelligent some bisons are! The mellow monster needn't even a second "Yip" from the Avatar to land right below its young, but growing branches. The Avatar smiled at his bison and emptied the basket that contained his sleeping bag and meals onto Appa's saddle and with the ease one would have gathering food with air-cushioned feet, he filled the basket to the brim with the delectable bison fruit.

"Here you go, buddy," Invited Aang as he placed the basket down in front of the beast. "Dig in!"

As the bison dove his tongue into the basket, the Avatar turned and faced the temple, taking the scroll from his belt. "I'll be back." He said as he walked cautiously forward.

Through the first lobby, he recognized monuments built to honor Avatar Yang-Chen, and all other air Avatars that preceded her. He also saw marble sculptures of some monks, faces he could vaguely remember.

He realized this temple was bigger than the other three he visited, and was amazed to see how the temple doors towered over him in stature. With a tentative knock with his knuckle, the doors opened with a moaning creak.

"Ah, Avatar Aang. Right on time." Called a woman.

Aang looked into the room and saw no face to trace the voice from, for it was almost black with darkness.

"Where are you?" Asked the monk.

"In here, Avatar, waiting for your company." Said a man.

"I can't see you."

"Most can't when they won't take the time to stop and watch."

Aang stood there for a moment, with the door propped open and the little tail of light that leaked from outside disappearing into the black. He tightened his grip on the door handle in preparation, for he wasn't sure what was going on. He thought for a moment before clearing his throat, and then loosened his grip on the handle.

"Okay, _I_ will."

With a last step, his body was entirely within the temple and he let the door close. As all Air Temple passages do, the natural air cushion prolonged the complete closing of the door. The Avatar stood and watched the floor as the little triangle of light that came in from outside grew thinner and thinner. Just when it seemed that he would be trapped in the boundary-less darkness, the door closed, and a spectacular lighting of crystals in the walls luminated the temple in an uprising swirl of visual magnificence.

With the lighting of the temple, he saw in a semi-circle before him 9 men and women dressed in red, blue, and green robes, sitting on a curved ledge with their hands folded neatly into their enormous, majestic sleeves.

That's when he saw the woman who addressed him before, a middle-aged Water Tribe native.

"We are the Sages of Generations. "

Aang, astounded by the lighting spectacle, looked in awe at the nine regal sages.

"Welcome, Avatar Aang."

* * *

"Do not fret, Katara," Consoled Iroh. "The Sages are a bendless, peaceful gathering of loyal Avatar advisors. They are there to help and serve the Avatar."

"So were the Sages of the Fire Nation." Katara said, finally taking a moment to stop nervously pacing around the room, her breakfast long ago abandoned. "But they turned on him."

"I assure you, every one of the Sages are dedicated Avatar advisors, even the Fire Nation sages."

Katara looked up at Iroh with fear in her eyes. "How can you be sure?"

"Katara, the role of the Sages is one of fierce discipline and test of virtue. When someone becomes a Sage, they dedicate the rest of their lives to serve the Avatar. When they pass on, only new Sages who are appointed by the Avatar themself can replace them. It is a duty of great trust and sacredness."

Katara remained looking at Iroh, unconvinced. "Iroh?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think that, even though the war has long been over now, that there may still be animosity between the nations?"

"Katara, there will always be animosity amongst people because they concern themselves with superficial differences, for they themselves are superficial people. "

"I mean, would there still be belligerent War Vultures?"

"I suppose it is possible, Katara, but the real threatening Vultures have been incarcerated. There should be no real threat among us now."

Even with the worst of the war gone, Katara still remained wary of the Fire Nation, mostly because of the War Vultures, Fire Nation individuals who still retained the ideals of Sozin and believed that Fire Nation reigned supreme over all nations. They were called "War Vultures" or simply "Vultures" to recognize their hunger for bloodied remains in the name of a dead cost.

Katara heaved a sigh and picked up an empty cup. "Yes, I suppose you're right."

Iroh smiled at her assuredly as he took the initiative to pour hot tea into the cup. "Just relax, my dear."

With a second sigh, Katara look at her filled cup and blew at it before taking a sip. At last she smiled, albeit small, and downed the last of her tea.

"Thank you Iroh. I think I'm going to go out and buy custard pie."

Iroh chuckled and took some money out of his pocket.

"Better make it two," He said, patting his belly, as he handed her the extra money.

This time with a wider smile, Katara waved at Iroh before going out through the door, calling back that she'd return soon.

As has become normal, whenever Katara would go into the market square, she was met with a wave of smiles, hellos, and nods of respect. Never would she fail to return the polite gestures, and always maintained her politeness and humility. As she walked past the stands, the vendors would always greet and address her by Miss Katara as they tried to lure her into their products and bargains. Today was a short day at the market, though. She was coming only to surprise her Air Prince with his favorite treat.

She made her way into the pastry stand in the corner of the square, where there was the most shade and strongest aromas of sweets, sugar and other tasty delights. She went to the stand and asked Minka, the town's beloved baker, for the two pies.

"Just give it five minutes, Kattie," Said the spunky baker. "I'm almost done baking a fresh batch right now. After all, you can't rush…art!"

Like a graceful whale, Minka leaped to the other side of the stand to take another order, her enormous breasts following closely behind her. Minka's animated persona always amused Katara and the rest of the town; she was fat, middle-aged, and eccentric, but had an electric charm that was all her own.

Katara politely took a few steps back to give Minka her space. While she waited, she absent-mindedly looked around to the neighboring stands when she saw a hooded figure by the apple stand. It took a minute for the light to shine on the lower part of their face to reveal ruby lips. Huh, so it's a woman.

That's when Katara noticed that she kept looking back at her clutched hand and then back at the vendor, each time showing her hand a little closer to his face.

_'She must not have enough money.'_ She thought.

She stood there for a moment, fingering the sum in her pocket before looking again at the woman. She was still there, still negotiating, and had an empty shopping basket at her feet. She took a last look at Minka, still adding finishing touches to her pies and figured she'd have enough time to come back.

She took out a couple silver pieces and approached the apple vendor. The hooded woman stepped back instantly with her head down.

"How much for a pound of apples?"

The vendor held up a hand and waved all fingers. "Five copper pieces."

"I'll take two."

She gave him the silver piece and was given back two packs of apples. He happily took the money before turning back towards the woman.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't make my prices any lower. This is the least expensive stand in the square, and if you can't afford the cost, then come back next week."

The woman stood there looking at him through the veil of shadow that covered her eyes from the hood. It was apparent she wasn't the most financially successful consumer here; her basket was wiry and dusty, and even her hood was not black, but a fainted dark gray. The way it draped over her body and limbs weighed down to reveal skinny arms inside edge-torn sleeves that hung open to reveal veined hands. Indeed, she wasn't the youngest consumer either.

She sighed before pocketing her worthless change and bent over to pick up her empty basket. However, when she looked down at it, she realized it wasn't empty, but now loaded with two pounds of apples.

She looked quizzically at the food before looking up ahead to see that the Water Tribe girl who had made a purchase before her was receiving pies from Minka. No trace of her previous purchases anywhere.

She watched Katara swiftly receive the pies into her basket before heading out of the square.

* * *

"Aang, as the Avatar you understand more than anyone else the vitality of balance in the world of now and tomorrow."

"Yes, Sage Kai-Nghi."

"As such, you are the last of your people, a thin thread holding the fabric of balance together. As you know, the Avatar cycle goes in a trend: when the Avatar dies, he is reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle. When you pass, your spirit, and the spirits of all the Avatars before you, will rejuvenate in the body of a Water Native."

"Yes," Said Aang. "then Earth, then Fire."

"But after Fire is Air, and since you're living as the last nomad now, there will not be another Air Native to perpetuate the cycle when the next three Avatars pass. This anomaly in the generations to come could be fatal, as the well-being of all nature, divinity, and existence depends on an Avatar."

"Without another Air Native to perpetuate the cycle, the Avatar will cease to exist, and consequences won't stop there. Without an Avatar, the very power of bending will become extinct; the technology we depend on through use of our bending will collapse. It could very well send us back to the darkest of ages."

The innocent monk looked at the sages with large, clueless eyes for a moment. Blinking once. The invasion of his people took place before Monk Gyatso has a chance to clarify with him information that a blossoming 12 year old could have found very useful. Blinking twice. It, however, never seemed to be too much of a problem, except when he sometimes couldn't understand the humor in the jokes Sokka would chuck long after Iroh had fallen asleep.

"Mkay…so…what am I supposed to do?"

The sages finally broke their expressionless faces to quickly exchange amused and confused looks between each other.

Finally the Water Native woman, Kai-Nghi, spoke. "Well…ahem…as the last of your kind, you must seek and find a wife by your 16th birthday and then…proceed to revive the Air population."

Again, an awkward silence ensued, and Aang remained quiet. It was by this time; Aang had caught wind that Sage Kyanu of the Fire Nation had covered his eyes with his hand and tried his best not to laugh.

"Okay…" Aang said at last. "Uh, why by my 16th birthday?"

Kai-Nghi shot a glare to Kyanu, for by this time, the sage's fat, wrinkled, face was creaking with suppressed laughter.

"Because…"Answered Kai-Nghi, shifting her eyes back to Aang, determined to keep this mature. "Life is unpredictable, young airbender. No one knows if you will live to wait out a few more years to marry. Plus, 16 is the traditional age by nomad custom to marry."

Aang nodded, albeit with apparent hesitation.

Spotting his confusion, Kai-Nghi added, "Don't worry, young Avatar. First, concern yourself with finding a wife. After you are married, instinct will guide you from there."

To the side, Kyanu's face was now purple with hidden hysteria.

"Before then," Inputted Sage Okru of the Earth Nation. "When you have found your wife, you will return to your home temple, as is customary, on your 16th birthday. We will be waiting for you. There, the spirits of the monks and nomads can bless you and your matrimony with offspring born with the gift of airbending."

* * *

As Aang flew through the sky on Appa, snacking on rice cakes Katara prepared for him, the words of the sages buzzed about in his mind. _'Find a wife, huh?'_ Thought the Avatar as he sucked on his sticky fingers. Katara always knew how to please his appetite for sweets.

She also knew how to please his need for laughter, and his need for happiness. Come to think of it, almost everything Katara did wielded the power to lift the Avatar higher than the cosmos.

The Avatar at that moment came up with a wonderful idea; he looked up at the sky to estimate what time it was. Then, with a last look down at the Earth villages he was flying over, he fingered his pocket to see how much money he had before motioning for Appa to land.


	4. The Clock is a Jokester

**AN: Yes, I am aware I haven't updated for the past couple of months, and I'm sorry. **Life as an entering college freshman gets a little hectic though when you got all this planning to do. ^_^;; I apologize for anyone who was waiting for the next chapter. I do love _Avatar_ and intend on writing more for this story. Stay tooned, Zutarians, fluff is on the way! For the rest of my readers, I encourage reviews and constructive criticism as always. Have a nice day. Someone has to, why not you? :)

_Chapter Four: The Clock is a Jokester_

* * *

Appa landed with a cushioned thud onto the warm earth terrain. Aang, feverish with excitement, leapt from the bison's head and looked ahead to the earth village before him. With an stoked tug at Appa's reins, Aang ushered him forward.

"C'mon, boy!" Said the energetic monk. "I know what I can do, and it's right there, waiting for me!"

With a grunt, the bison trudged behind his chipper friend into the village square. Upon arriving at it, Aang stopped for a moment and looked around curiously. Something about this place, though he could not quite put his finger on it, seemed awfully familiar.

Just then Aang caught sight of a passing villager. "Uh, excuse me."

The villager looked at Aang and instantly smiled at his tattoos. "Yes, Avatar?"

"Is there a market square around here?"

"Of course, Avatar," Said he as he lifted a robed arm to the west. "Just down that way, you can't miss it."

Aang's excitement once more flared in his stomach. "Thank you!" He called over his shoulder as he jogged towards the end of the road."

True to the villager's word, Aang was soon met with lines of stands, rows of hung merchandise, and columns of sorted produce. He walked past stand after stand; in search of what he hoped could be what he was looking for. As he passed by, a particular vegetable stand made a poke at his memory. Aang then stopped and puzzled about the familiarity of this village. He looked at the stand and wondered where he saw it before; nothing but oranges, celery, corn, and papaya.

He then chuckled. Katara never liked papaya.

The busy nomad shrugged before continuing on. He search did not last much longer until he sighed in relief at finding the desired stand.

"Jewelry!" He cried excitedly to himself, as he approached the laid-out display of exotic stones, diamonds, ribbons, and pendants. In the corner of his eye, he saw the silhouette of the vendor in the middle of advertising to a passing consumer.

His gray eyes scanned over the table of stones and pendants for sale, arranged from size and color. All stones were sorted into four sections; fire, water, earth, and air, the regions where they were originally mined from. Aang focused his attention on water and air stones when he came across the absolutely most beautiful shade of blue he had ever seen. The stone was shaped like a tear, and glistened in the sunlight like velvet gloss. The prisms of the different hues of blue glowed within the stone, and had an almost divine quality to it, as though the sea goddess herself wept this tear.

Aang instantly knew he wanted it. He clutched it in his hand and looked up at the vendor, a young lady, still bent over the other side of the stand, arranging her stones.

"Excuse me?" Called Aang. "How much is this stone?"

She turned around and faced the Avatar with a small plate of stones in her hand. Upon seeing his face, her countenance changed, and her eyes grew as her fingers coiled over the edge of the plate. She relaxed after a second and smiled wide, before putting the plate down to the side.

She looked at Aang with her dark brown eyes. "Back so soon, Aang?"

* * *

Katara was making her way back home with the two pies neatly stacked on top of each other in her basket. As she turned the corner back towards the Jasmine Dragon, she was approached by the hooded woman from before. Before Katara had a chance to back away, the woman reached for her hand and tried to open it, the clinking sound of change called from the outside of her closed hand.

"Please," Katara said politely, "I don't want your money, madam."

The woman backed off suddenly and stood there with one arm cradling the two pounds of apples. She at last looked at Katara, with shadow over her eyes.

"I insist." She said at last, surprising Katara with a voice that sounded sweet, with a youthful undertone. "It's the least I can do for your kindness."

Katara smiled at her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What you can do is make use of the apples. Perhaps make a pie for your family."

The woman remained stiff for a moment before bowing her head once more.

After a few moments Katara bit her tongue. "…have you a family?"

After another silence, a single shake of her head ensued.

Realizing she probably hit a tender spot, Katara looked down for a moment in thought. She then looked at the sky to estimate the time, and then at the path that lead to home.

She turned back towards the woman and gave an inviting smile. "Then maybe we can make something out of them. Would you like a cup of tea? Employees get free tea at the Jasmine Dragon."

The woman perked her head at the sound of something hot in her tummy. She hesitantly took a half step forward before standing her ground.

"I don't want to intrude." Peeped the small, feminine voice.

"No intrusion at all. I welcome you as my guest, it would be a pleasure." Assured Katara, smiling.

It seemed forever that the woman stood there, pondering of what were Katara's intentions, or how could someone so easily invite a perfect stranger to their house. From under her hood, she studied Katara's big, innocent blue eyes and the sincerity in her smile. After finally regaining a firm hold on her apples, the woman stepped forward with a small "Okay".

Katara widened her smile. "My name's Katara."

She saw the woman solely nod her hung-over head. After several moments of waiting in her vain for her to tell her name, Katara asked for it.

She paused again before quietly saying "Unazuki."

Katara repeated it once before smiling once more and leading the rest of the way to the Jasmine Dragon, as her quiet, but grateful guest walked silently behind her.

* * *

Aang was perplexed. "Back?" He asked.

"Yes," said the young lady, "don't you recognize me?"

Aang studied her harder this time, but couldn't quit place where he may have seen her before. Her hair was styled in an odango pigtail, where a high-placed ring of her yarn-like black hair clutched around a stream of free-flowing hair that lead past her shoulders. The thickness of her hair fanned out from the ponytail, giving her overall appearance volume and emphasized the delicate figure of a growing lady no older than he. Her eyes were just as deep and black and her hair, crowned with naturally long, curly eyelashes. She had skin possibly a shade or two darker than Katara's, and was at his height, if not an inch or two shorter. Had it not been for her goofy smile, Aang would not have figured it out.

"Meng!" He finally said as he put his hands up. "Is that really you?"

"Yup!" Said she proudly, bearing a complete set of teeth. "My middle tooth grew in, and I finally figured out what to do with my hair."

"I didn't even recognize you for a minute there!" Laughed Aang. "You certainly have done some growing."

"As have you." She giggled

"Are you still working for Aunt Wu?"

"Of course, I just picked this up as a side job. With the little bending I know, I help mine and explore all kinds of places in search for stones like these."

"Neat." He said as he showed her the stone again. "How much is this one?"

Meng looked at the stone before giggling again. "I didn't know you liked wearing jewelry, Aang."

Aang laughed. "Not quite. It's for my girlfriend."

Meng's smile fell a little. "Girlfriend?"

"Yes, you remember Katara, don't you?"

Meng nodded slowly, her smile becoming a burden. "The water tribe girl, right?"

"That very one."

"Oh," She said. "Well, good for you."

Aang smiled and nodded giddily, not even remembering of the crush Meng had on him. Meng sighed as she took the stone from his hand and examined it for a moment.

"This one's two silver pieces." She said.

Aang understood. A marvelous stone like that was bound to be expensive and was grateful as the avatar he made the Jasmine Dragon a popular place for business. He was even more grateful that as a worker there, he was paid decently.

However, he was ungrateful that he forgot to take with him extra money.

Aang reached into his pocket and felt how much money he had: one silver piece, three copper, and a bronze…no, wait…aha! He found a second piece. He had just enough for the stone and possibly a ribbon for it.

He took out the two pieces and handed them over to her. As she was putting the money into a basket, he saw that over her shoulder was a woman holding up a vibrant yellow-orange stone that was transparent in the sunlight, and reflected spheres of yellow-orange light all around. Aang was suddenly torn and began twiddling his thumbs. Meng was just turning back to him with his stone in a small, string-operated baggie when she saw Aang's eyes fixated on the new stone.

Just then, the second woman who was holding the stone was now loudly clacking her long nails on the counter. "How much longer are you going to take, Meng?"

Aang quietly hooked an eyebrow at the bold tone she used with Meng. Meng subtly bit her bottom lip with her back still turned towards the middle-aged lady. "Wait a moment, I'm helping this customer." She said slowly, as though she were talking to a child.

"Maybe if you spent more time _shutting your mouth_ you'd get something done for once."

Aang instantly saw Meng's cheeks turn red in sting before she wheeled around and faced the woman. "What do you want?"

The lady held up the stone. "How much for the air stone?"

Aang quietly sucked in his breath. He saw on the dashboard there were no other stones like the one she had. He hoped that she would have put it down and that perhaps he could make the bronze and copper pieces be enough to pay for it.

Meng remembered the Avatar's intense stare at the stone. Had he money or not, he was the nicest person at her stand in months. "That stone is not for sale, Lin Dai."

Lin Dai scoffed. "Hardly surprising, _nothing_ nice you sell ever is."

As she pompously turned on her heel and left, Aang stared after her, mesmerized at her rudeness and impatience.

"What's her problem?" He asked.

Meng sighed. "Much."

"I can see that. I take you two have met before?"

"Unfortunately."

"Who is she?"

"She runs one of the richest families around here, and looks down on everyone who is not made of money like her. She holds a personal grudge against Aunt Wu, and as her assistant, I got caught in the crossfire."

Aang stayed looking at Meng, not sure of what say next until she sighed and took hold of the air stone.

"Do you want this one?"

"Oh, I thought you said—"

"I didn't feel like servicing Lin Dai. Do you want the stone?"

"Well…yes, I would. However, I am not sure on how I'd make this work."

"Work?"

"Yes, I love the water stone, but also really like this air one."

"Well, I can chisel the air stone so that it can be attached to the water stone."

Aang's eyes widened at the perfect compromise. "How?"

Meng reached for the baggie and took out the water stone. She ran her finger up the edges of the tear-shaped stone while explaining. "As an earthbender," She said while taking the air stone in her other hand. "I can chisel this air stone to the shape of this point of the water stone. Then, with some adhesive and heat, it can be an oval of both air and water."

Aang's smiled drew in a gasp. "That's _perfect_, but how much will this cost?"

Meng smiled sympathetically, but knew she couldn't give him the stone for free. "Chiseling takes time and precision, so that service with purchasing the air stone will come to about two gold pieces."

Aang felt a kick in his stomach. He didn't have the money with him and knew it would be a matter of time before someone else will take the air stone. He sighed and told Meng to forget the idea. However, she looked at Aang kindly and touched his arm and told him that it would be two gold pieces because it's a time-consuming process when done alone. If he really wanted the stone, she would let him keep it if he helped her chisel it.

Aang was touched by her generosity, but told her he didn't know much of chiseling.

"You don't have to," She assured. "I'll help you. We can't start today because it's almost closing time for my stand, but you can come back with the water stone and we can have the air-water pendant ready in a week or two."

Aang, excited with joy, put both hands on her shoulders and thanked her repetitively. With a last squeeze, Aang saw that the sky was turning orange and realized that it was getting late. More than anything, he missed Katara. He took his baggie and bid Meng farewell for now, promising that he would come back tomorrow as he hurried off to find Appa.

Meng watched him go and admired how he grew handsomer still. She understood that he had always liked Katara, but couldn't help but smile to herself at the thought of seeing him again tomorrow.


End file.
